A Spiritual Father
I love being a Dad.
Now, I may question the sanity of that statement during those times of
no sleep and cleaning up after sick kids, but the overall role of being a
father is rewarding. As a father, I have
a unique responsibility to shape the children under my care to be the best
follower of Christ they can be. It is
not my job to be their friend. It is my
job to train them in righteousness and prepare them to be an arrow in the hands
of a mighty warrior (Psalm 127:4).
In the same way we need an earthly father, we need a spiritual
father. Paul tells the church in Corinth, “For though
you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus
through the gospel.” (1 Corinthians 4:15).
We have several people within the church that encourage and help us but
we all need someone who is an authority in our Christian walk to show us the
way and hold us accountable to that way.
The reason Paul tells them this is because he was calling
out those who were leading people astray.
They were teaching knowledge without action and power. He says, “For the kingdom of God does not
consist in talk but in power.” (1 Corinthians 4:20). The proof of discipleship is not in knowledge
but in action. Disciples are not those
who just have a lot of knowledge.
Disciples are those who live the mission left to us by Christ. Knowledge can help with that mission, but it is
not the goal. Let us not judge our
maturity as a believer by what we know.
It must be judged by what we do.
Make sure you have a spiritual father in your life who is challenging
you to live in power.
James 1:22, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only,
deceiving yourselves.”
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